Stabilizing and propelling apparatus for land, sea, and air craft



Jan. 12, 1932. STONE I 1,840,541

STABILIZING AND PROPELLING APPARATUS FOR LAND, SEA, AND AIR CRAFT Filed 0st. 12, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12, 1932. H STONE I 1,840,541

STABILIZING AND PROPELLING APPARATUS FOR LAND, SEA, AND AIR CRAFT Filed Oct. 12, 1929 4 She ets-Sheet' 2 3 1 VENTOR Jan. 12, 1932. STONE 1,840,541

STABILIZING AND PROPELLING APPARATUS FOR LAND, SEA, AND AIR CRAFT Filed Oct. 12', 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 12, 1932.

STABILI ZING AND PROPELLING APPARATUS FOR LAND, SEA, AND AIR CRAFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 12, 1929 '6 as in a 7'52" I INVE TOR Patented an. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD J. STONE, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA STABILIZING AND PROPELLING- APPARATUS FOR LAND, SEA, AND AIR CRAFT Application filed October 12, 1929. Serial No. 399,329.

This invention relates to aircraft and more particularly to propulsion and stabilizing and direction-changing means for controlling the same.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a simple, efiicient and inexpensive means for propelling an aircraft, whetherheavier or lighter than air craft at great speeds, and under nearly perfect equalizing conditions of flight.

Another object thereof is to provide a rotor of such formation and disposition relatively to thejtransportation craft designed forinterchangeable use on land, upon or under the sea, and in the air as will conduce towards the attainment of maximum safety, ease of control and manipulation, self-righting tendency when subjected to uneven wind, water or other stresses and such as will lend itself desirably for instant elevation vertically or descent vertically or sudden and even-keel change of direction.

Another object thereof is to provide a stabilizing propulsion unit for use on any type of transportation craft or vehicles designed to be rendered buoyant, if desired,

and to maintain the craft steadily onward on its selective course with a minimum of difliculty in operating the controls under adverse conditions of movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bullet-shaped tapering interiorly-hollow and exteriorly convoluted combination stab'liz ng and propulsive element that will guide the craft carrying the same on an even keel and in a manner to counterpoise the action of wind, wave, current, andfriction, as well as severe unequalized stresses tending to swer e the craft from a fixed line of movement, to the-end that the craft be restrained from rolling, pitching, listing, or losing sudden equilibrium when undergoing precipitous change in direction of course, change in speed, or stormy opposition from the elements.

Another object of this invention is to attach to heavier or lighter than air transortation craft means for simultaneously keeping the craft against unstable progressin movement but at the same time tending to accelerate the speed of the craft from proper engagement with the displaced energy of wave, wind or air. i A still further object of the present invention is to provide a series-of independently controllable stabilizing and propulsive elements upon transportation craft, so designed, positioned and acting as t0-be able to collec: tively or individually to oppose any tendency on the part of the craft to drift out of a given course due to hampering from wind, air, wave, friction, and atmospheric conditions in a general. Means are provided for varying the linear distance between the several elements in order toincrease or diminish the speed thereof at the will of the operator, and

in order to change the direction of movement, elevation, descent, equalization, stabilization, self-truing, and self-determination.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel form of stabilizing and propulsive unit which is designed to have interior bulkheads to receive air for bouyancy purposes, and which will be formed with integraily arranged'peripheral helical or convolute fins formed cancavo-convex in cross-section so that the impact-making surfaces are convex and the energy-dissipating concave valleys intervening between the rises of the fins will act to divert the displaced energy originating from air, wind, current, wave or frictional engagement with land in a manner to assist inkeeping the craft at an even keel and constant -poses and is then automatically shot out in,

jet-manner to the atmosphere so as not to impede steady progress of the craft.

Another and important object of this invention is to provide, in conjunction with lighter or he vier than air craft propulsive units designe to be adjustably actuated so as to be tilted or osbillated in an arc of degrees or capable of making a complete out the respective views,

revolution and of being held fixed in any angular disposition for elevating, lowering, and stabilizing purposes. The units may be heavier or lighter than air in themselves, and

will present a screw-propeller, air-scooping" machine terminal adjustable, stabilizing and propulsive units designed under controlling means within selective reach of the operator,

to be positioned or juxtaposed at varying, predeterminative, selective angles with respect to either the vertical or.horizontal as may best serve the purposes of attaining great speed, great safety, better equalization, and stronger control of direction changing as well as vertical descent or elevation without the use of land runways.

Another object of this invention is to utilize land transportation craft in conjunction with aerial craft, both types of vehicles being dominated by a single crew or dual crews and which may be'utilized in times of war as well as peace for the aerial carriage of flying machines or instruments of death, although controlled on land as the land craft is speeding to a definite destination, means being provided whereby. sources of propulsive energy may be transferred from the land craft to the air craft. In this type of m invention the aerial craft will have at east eight combination stabilizing and propulsive units so arranged as to be capable of independent control so that an le of incidence or reflection of the planes the aerial craft will respond in direct relationship to the angular tilt of the propulsive units themselves to the end that the aerial craft, if even rendered bouyant, will be capable of correct flight with minimum difliculty of control.

A still further object of this invention is to provide combination bullet-shaped, fin-carrying, power-multiplying, air-floating, landpropelled units for attachment to transpor-- tation craft whereby in the propulsion and operation of such craft lightness in weight of the vehicie may be attained, speed brought within range of frictionless driving, safety made the chief factor of sustained movement and slipping of tractive and motive parts eliminated entirely.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, ar-

rangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in the,

appended claims. I

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts through- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional. elevation of one form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section taken centrally of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of heavier than air craft to which. my invention is attached,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the invention shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a fragmental detail side view of a modified turbine convolute propeller,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional elevation of another form of my invention,

Figure 7 is a cross section taken thru the left hand part of Fig. 6,

Figure 8 is a fragmental detail sectional vicw'illustrating the angular disposition of jet openings to be descri ed, I

Figure 9 is a detail side view of the stabilizing and rudder and propulsive unit to be described, T i

Figure 10 is a side view of another form of my. invention, v

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional elevation of the invention shown in Figure 10.

The underlying principle of my invention, as illustrated in the present drawings is to provide a combination stabilizing and propulsive unit for use interchangeably on transportation vehicles whether for use on land, on the sea or thereunder, or in the air. There is provided in connection with a nonrotating body shaped in any desired manner to act as a cab in, fuselage or passenger or freight carrying member designated in Figurel as 10terminal oppositely disposed units i 14 and arranged in counterpoised'relationship. Each unit is of identical design and construction. The cabin 10 carries the frame 11 carrying the landing wheeis\12 adapting the craft for motion on land or in the air. For air use the wings 13 are employed in conventional manner as aretl'ie horizontal and vertical rudder for steering. purposes. The stabilizing and propulsive unit 14 may have "a partition or partitions 19 therein providing bulkheads receiving gas or other fluid to render the same buoyant for aerial flight, the bulkheads being designated 20, 20,et This provides a hollow interior of the nit 14, which is cigar shaped, bullet shaped, or conical or frusto -conical in configuration as will best subserve presenting a surface least disposed to invite air resistance when the craft is attaining speed in motion. There'isjntegrally formed, .pressed ont' or shaped convolute, spiral or helical fins or vanes in such a manner that each fin is formed concavoconvex in cros's-sdction thereby providing the convex air-impinging motion-giving surfaces 16 spirallyw0und,-and the intervening con; cave pa'ssagl s or valieys'1'8 in which a vortex of flu1d suc as air, water or the like is created of a potency to divert forcibly all counteracting factors that would'otherwise tend to make the craft swerve from its selected course of of the vortex created by the units when rotat-' ing furiously, whereby the counterpoised spiral convolutions of the ricocheting bulletshaped bodies will cause a vortex which vortex will accentuate variations in the streamshown formed with an annular band 20 rocurrent and circuit output so that a more powerful and extensive perpendicular thrust may be imparted to the axis of rotation of the circuit currents. These units when filled with gas or air will float in the air at the same time rotating with great speed since they are light, strong, and will not buckle or undergo distortion when subjected -to severe steady stresses from wind, wave, water, storm, or atmosphere disturbances in general, when in flight. I

Any means may be employed to rotate said units 14 and 15 and to arrange these units in counterpoised manner note that the spiral fins of one unit are struck on a pitch contrary to that of the other so while they rotate in the same direction, the action is to make the forwardly disposed rotor and turbine unit scoop the air in the spiral valleys 18, create a vortex that impels the craft forwardly against deviating disturbances, and the vortex created makes the displaced air be on veyed in and by. thevalleys towards the rear of the ship. The pitch of the convolutions of the forward propellers 14 is such as to Watt .the displaced air caught in the swirling vortex .of the convex surfaces 16 of the fins towards the rear of the craft where the streams-and eddies and currents of the particular fluid Whether air, water or the like, are made, when caught in the'vortex of the rear unit 15 to be conducted in and by the valleys 18 of this .unit to slap the craft forcibly in the same direction it is going and then'is expelled against the atmosphere as against a solid wall so as to kick the craft with a degree of acceleration not heretofore attainable in any I craft. The result of this is to so influence the fluid-current circuiting induced by the convex swirling surfaces of each rotor as to make these bodies vacuum-inducing for retroactive propulsion and stabilization purposes. The fact thatthe fins of the unit 15 has a contrary pitch to those of the front unit is what stabilizes the equalizes the cabin preventing this cabin f om rotating with the two units 14 and and in thesame direction. The opposite forces set up, whilst creating vortices, by the two units tend to neutralize and to counteract effectively any tendencyon the part of the craft, no matter how the disturbing cause originates, whether on land, -or on or under the sea or in the air, to pitch, roll, toss, list, and undergo precipitous, continuous or intermittent shifting and violent shaking so that a stabilizing factor of primary impor-' tance is introduced, These combination stabilizing and propulsive units will kee the craft at an even keel almost automatical y as the momentum ofspeed developed under ac celerating conditions is such that nothing can withstand thecontinuity of rectilinear direction of motion to which course the craft may selectively have been set. v

In Figure 1 the units 14 and 15 are each tatedly seated in an annular guide 21 and operatively held against displacement therefrom, each band carrying a concentric internal ring gear 22 which meshes with an actuating pinion 23 the shaft 24 of which passes thru bearing 25 to the engine or motor. By suclrmeans rotation may be imparted to each unit. It follows that as severe storms, cyclones and similar atmospheric disturbances on. land, water or in the air today tend to defeat progress in locomotion of transpor tation craft, and as the storm itself creates seen that the convolute fins are disposed tangentially in such a manner around the helix as to bring the fins more closely together for stabilizing and speed increasing purposes.

In order to make it possible to change the direction of motion of the transportation craft selectively, predeterminatedly and roscopic'ally for *the purpose of causing t e craft to be elevated or depressed in a vertical plane without using runways to give the craft initial momentum I make use of various expedients now to be explained. Thus in Figures 6 and 9 there is disclosed a variable rudder element or unit consisting of the stabiiizing and propulsive device 39 having the relatively broad c'oncavo-convex fins of convolute formation 40, this device having trun- 'nions 42,43 operatively hung in a yoke '41 which is formed at one end with a bifurcated or forked portion 43 into the arallel parts 44 and 45 of which are journa' ed ver tical spindles 36, formed upon a universal member 37 mm which the trunnion 43 is operatively and pivotally connected, the pin 37 a 37 of which is mounted in suitable bearings and turning relatively to a shaft 34. carrying, in the cabin, a gear 33 over which is trained a'spro'cket chain 32 also trained upon the driver gear'31 on a shaftderivingits power from the engine or primary mover 26 in the cabin or fuselage. The unit 39 otherwise deair escapes thru the jet orifices.

signed to propel the craft in a manner already described, may be tilted in a horizontal plane thru its crank" arm 46 designed to be actuated b the forward thrust of the rod 48 carrying t e coupler 44 connecting the rod with the crank arm 16 with the operating handle 49. Similarly by operating the handle rod 51 on the handle this rod thru a crank will effect the turning of the unit 39 in planes at right anglesto its first movementv or in a vertical plane. Any such universal movement, formingno part of the present invention can be effectively utilized, to position the unit in any angular position desired for elevating, lowering or changing direction of the craft. The parts thus described exert a most uncompromisingly automatic self-. righting and self-motivating influence upon the aircraft carrying same in that they lend power towards eli'ecting'variangular maneuvering of the craft whilst in motlon and they provide circuit-retreating means for auxiliarily revolving the rotor-rudders, as these dirigible elementsmay be termed. The pivot arms 'of the universal members impart boost-ing and maneuvering efiiciency to the machine and multi-angular propulsive and direction-changing impulses well calculated to remove from the direct manual control of the crew of the aircraft disturbing influences, and to cause the craft to respond properly to the desired change in direction of the vehicle, The rotor-rudders, in conjunction with the dirigible controls already described also con stitute effective means whereby the rotative speeds and angular disposition of therotorrudder may be gyroscopically and selectively controlled and preregulated.

In order to take advantage of the energy that would otherwise be wasted, in the act of the craft progressing under great speed in its selected range and direction of movement I intend to utilize wherever possible, in every type of craft herein described, the principle of jet propulsion, characterized by the underlying feature of vortex-stream induce- 'ment and compress-explosive motivation.

The air displaced by the craft as it speeds on will enter the air tunnel 29 thru its entrance or mouth 30 and thus as the air is displaced it rushes into this tunnel and finds its way thru conduit 28 into an exhaust cylinder 27 from which, by pipe 27?) the air enters the annular air drum 53 under agitation and finally exits thru the ports 52 into the shell of the propulsion unit 14 or 15 and escapes thru the spirally inclined and pitchedjet orifices 51 which. due to their spiral twist will and must effect the turning of the unit as the The effect is similar should water be the medium and not air for propelling the outfit. In this manner the escape of the displaced air thru the jet orifices, and under the centrifugal accelerating action of the propulsive unit itself, will increase the speed of the craft. This makes the motive fuel displaced and energy created do work twice, once externally and once internally of the shell of the turbine rotor unit. And it will be seen that as a 'consequence of the rocket-aided multi-j et air circuit generated by the means thus described, there are freely called into existence backthrust circuit-jets causing a slip-stream vacuum-inducing energization of the air currents and eddies. This type of control mechanism employed as auxiliary factors of propulsion-stabilization, assisted by the fin-carrying stabilizer-cantilevering bodies and motion transmitters, are calculated toincrease the size and circuit-power of the vortex stream flowing as a necessary result of the revolving of the spiral-convolute fins of the rotors, so that thereis produced ahighly-developed convolute-rotor-stabilizing unit capable of'unlimited power-multiplying impulses. Reference being made to Figures 10 and '11 another type of construction of variable propulsive and stabilizing units is employed for elevating, lowering and direction-changing purposes. Here the propulsive units are not rendered buoyant as the main craft itself can be made heavier than air with wings, or as illustrated in Figure 10 and Figure 11 may have the separated partitions therein forming bulkheads in a manner already described. It will be noted gas may fill these bulkheads airship-fashion thereby rendering the craft buoyant for airnavigat-ion. Two or more units may be employed; each unit being an auger shaped and reacting spindle 57, one being arranged, tandem fashion, on opposite sides of the machine and preferably centrally thereof for counterpoised stabilization. Each spiral spindle 57 has its ends journaled as at 56 in bearings 56 formed terminally upon a yoke consisting of the incurvate stem and the angular bearings 55. The gear 59 fixed on the spindle unit 57 meshes with the gear 60 on shaft 61 mounted on stem 55""and miter gear 62 on this shaft meshes with miter gear 63 on the shaft enclosed in sleeve bearings 64 from which power is derived from the engine or primary mover shown in Figure 11. This or any other suitable means may be employed for the purpose of rotating the frames. or yokes 55 to place them in any angularly variable position desired to head the craft upward, forward, downward, rearward, downward or in any other direction, as *b altering the angle or pitch of the fins on t e units 57 the this will engage the fluid whether air or water in a reversed direction. The units hereact as combination directionchanging and propulsive elements instead of stabilizing and propulsiveunits although stabilization is also promoted by the tandem effect produced by the units aided by the arrange'ment of the conventional vertical and about a convolute, rotor-lined cabin and retracted engine parts, the rotors undergoing counterpoised-spiral revolutions for the pur- "pose of stabilized motion-generation. 2. In vehicle propulsion hollow bodies having stream lined, circuit generating,

spiral convolutionscausing a vortex for retroactive propulsion and stabilization, and mechanism for universally shifting the angular 23 disposition of the said bodies with respect 'to the vehicle for direction-changing,counterpoising and vehicle flight purposes.

'3. In vehicle propulsion, a plurality of motion-giving bodies, having spiral convolutions for-the creation of a vortex a spirally-disposed, rocket-aided, multi-jet air circuit induced by said bodies when in vortex-- creating movement for accelerating the speed of the vehicle, and mechanism for imparting revolution to said bodies and for actuat ing the rotor-circuit j et-rockets.

4. In vehicle propulsion a plurality of revolvin bodies capable of being rendered ,buoyant and having spiral convolutions for 4o vacuum-aiding, vortex-creatingpurposes, to

impart speed/to the vehicle, said bodies arranged in counterpoised formation forevenkeel direction-changing and stabilizing purposes, and mechanism for varying the linear 4 continuity of the several bodies in their inter-relation to retard or to accelerate the speed. of the vehicle.

5. In combination with a vehicle, streamr lined, counterpoised, axial, screw-shaped bodies arranged oppositely thereto, for ad justment in angularpositions within 160 degrees to change the direction of motion,

means for buoyantlysustaining the vehicle in flight, and means imparting rotation. to

the screw-shaped bodies while in variangula maneuvering a 6. Means of vehicle'propulsion consisting of sheet-metal, .ricocheting, bullet-shaped bodies lrevolvably carried by the vehicle in cantilevering, counterpoised relation to give stability to the vehicle, convolute fins upon the periphery of the several bodies containing rocket-vents generating back-thrust circuitjets for actuating the vehicle in flight, and

the elevation and tilting of said elements for pulsive, rotor-rocket, fluid-current circuiting means whereby the angular disposition of the vehicle rotor units may be changed.

7. In combination with a vehicle body, means for sustaining the body in transit, comprising slipstream-sp-iralled, vacuum-inducing stabilizing elements in the form of. screw-propellers, having spiral convolutions of considerable length and extent, frames carrying said elements, means controlling direction-changing, equalizing and propulsion purposes, and current-retreating means for revolving and auxiliary propulsive driving of said elements.

8. In transportation craft for interchangeable use on land, air, on or under the sea, a non-rotatable cabin, a hollow, fluid-airtight, bullet-shaped, spiral, fin-carrying, stabilizercantilevering body and motion transmitter U carried angle-adjustably by said cabin. and operated from controls within the cabin.

9. In transportation craft, a non-rotatable cabin, a series of rotors, hollow interiorly and capable of receiving and holding confined lighter-than-air fluid in multiple-celled compartments for'buoyancy purposes, a series of spiral fins formed integrally upon the rotors individually, each fin being concaveconvex or serpentive in configuration whereby the convex surfaces. are air-dispelling means for lengthening or shortening the line of said rotors for stabilizing purposes, for vertical flight and for direction-varying purpose.

l 10. In transportation craft, a non-rotat able cabin, a hollow rotor turbine rendered bouyant internally and armored externally, the external armor of the turbine consisting of a stream ,lineof convolutions convex at the air-exposed surfacesand grooved at the air resisting surfaces, whereby to promote stability and gyroscopic control in flight,- and an axisof rotation for said turbine, the convolutions gradually diminishing in diameter towards the outer point of the turbine.

11. In transportation craft, a non-rotatable cabin, ahollow rotor turbine rendered bouyant internally and armored externally, the external armor of the turbine consisting of a stream line of convolutions convex at the air-exposed surfaces and groo'vedlat the air-resisting surfaces, whereby to promote stability and gyroscopic control in flight and an axis of rotation for said turbine, the convolutions gradually diminishing in diameter towards the outer point of the, turbine.

12. In transportation craft, a rotor-stabilizing unit formed of'a hollow body formed with spiral. convolute turnings integrally 0 thereon in a manner to present convex-thrust L5 fins to the action of an air current and designed for compresso-explosive propulsion and control and fluid-rocket acceleration purposes, and concave air-exhausting spiral' valleys whereby to balance the rotor in flight,

- partin said rotor undergoing revolutions and having rovision forasuckine in and jet-expelling 'splaced air for speed acceleration purposes.

13. In transportation vehicles, the combination of a series of aligning pontoon rotors, fora wing spread, said pontoon rotors having(provision for receiving a supply of air or flui under inflation and control, means for revolving each pontoon rotor independently of the other, means for tilting the rotors individually or collectively, means carried by each'rotr for boring of the fiuid as it revolves, and means providing a unitary control for all of said rotors.

14. In combination with transportation craft, a front hollow pontoon turbine, formed with helical fins exteriorly and having a fluid tunnel accelerating mechanism interiorly, with helical back-thrust, rocket-jet helical orifices arranged upon the fins whereby to utilize the displaced energy-giving fluid thru the tunnel and out of the jet orifices to aid in acceleratingthe rotative speed of the pontoon turbine, to increase the size and circuit-power of its vortex stream.

15. In combination with a vehicle body, a plurality of pontoon screws arranged laterally thereof,'means mounting said pontoons upon the body, means for tilting any and all said pontoons selectively, and means immotion individually to any and all of sai; pontoons.

16. In combination with heavier-than-air craft, a fuselage-replacing bullet-shaped pontoon, screw-carrying dirigible means, and mechanism associated with said pontoon screw and said means for imparting controlled rotation and'angular disposition to said pontoon screw for elevating and lowering the craft and for gyroscopic stabilizing and direction-diverting purposes.

17. In combination with amphibian turbine-rotor transportation craft, a cylindrical fuselage; an outer cylindrical spirally-turned or tortuous convolute fin-carrying shell rotatably mounted thereower so as to propel and protect the fuselage, said fins also being rotor-rocket aided, means for rendering said shell buoyant to 'sustain the fuselage aloft,

and controls for changing the position of the craft in ascending, descending or gliding.

18. In combination a series of interconnected, variably trunnioned pontoon rotors, means for driving said pontoon rotors, each pontoon rotor consisting of a dome-shaped cabin and artapering screw-acting borer having rotating meansin the cabin, the arrangement being such that the intermediate taper ing portionsiif the several rotors confront the next acent domeshaped portion of the mated rotor, whereby the air displaced by any and all pontoon rotors glides from the domes and whereby-uninvited air currents are reflected by thedomes to noninjurious courses. 19. In power propulsion devices a pontoon leader and a pontoon follower, means for rotating the pontoon leader and the pontoon follower simultaneously, means carried by each pontoon member for scooping and surface-skimming the particular fluid or air surface over which it glides for sustaining ca'pac' ity, to divert it to the rear in avacuum-induo ing circuit, for resistance-overcoming propulsive purposes, and mechanism for changing the angle of incidence or reflection of the pontoon follower 'with respect to the pontoon leader for retroactive and for stabilization purposes.

20, Propulsive means for vehicles consisting of multiple jet, spiral-vaned propellers, part motor-actuated, and part actuated thru transit by propulsive momentum, and by forward-acting, retroactive stream currents, creating a rocket-aided and controllable vortex,

and means whereby the propellers are adapted for variable steering and propulsive movements, the spiral vanes of said propellers being so shaped and disposed as to accentuate variations in stream-current and circuit output, whereby a more powerful and extensive perpendicular thrust may be imparted to the axis of rotation of the circuit currents.

21. An amphibian motion'and gpower-creatirr'g device comprising a self-motivating vacuum-inducing, fluidcurrent-actuating rotor-turbine and stabilizing controls therefor including pivot arms variably trunnioned imparting boosting and maneuvering efiicieny to the said device, and providing rotor-rudder auxiliary multi-angular propulsive and direction-changing impulses and means whereby the retative speeds and angular disposition of said rotor-rudders may be gyroscopically and selectively controlle In witness whereof he has hereunder set his harrd this 28th day of September, 1929. HAROLD J. STONE. 

